The Applied Educator Cohort
A limited cohort designed specifically for School leaders. Learn how to run applied improvisation teacher development for increased SEL, growth mindset, design thinking, and iterative learning
Live virtual sessions
Group coaching
Asynchronous Community
June 30 – August 4, 2026
12 participants maximum
Founding cohort rate: $1,000 · Full rate after founding cohort: $1,200*
"In 18 years, this is one of the best professional developments we've ever had. Totally worth it!"
Kat Coy, Counseling Department Chair, Knoxville Catholic High School
*Many participants expense this through their school's professional development or Title II budget.
The Problem
You are tirelessly looking for professional development that will actually move the needle in a meaningful way.
Your staff expresses concern that each professional development feels like a one-off. It feels like there is commitment to a theory, practice, or approach and then there's a new "flavor of the month" by the next PD... and well, they're probably right.
Applied improvisation fixes that. It builds the behaviors in the room (collaboration, communication, conflict-resolution, adaptability) through structured practice rather than instruction. It's not about the what, it's about the how.
And it transfers, because it was never just theory to begin with.
This is for you...
This cohort is designed for K–12 building leaders in independent and public schools — principals, AP's, and curriculum directors who own PD planning and feel frustrated with offerings that don't transfer learning back into the classroom.
You set the direction for how teachers grow in your building and you're ready to bring a methodology into your school that actually changes what happens in classrooms. Not a program that talks about empowerment, student voice, and character development; one that actually changes the game.
Most professional development misses on two fronts
Professional development keeps missing the mark. It's either all theory disseminated through slides and lectures (the opposite of classroom best practices) or it's all fluff; two truths and lie and scavenger hunts that have no intentional connection to what needs to happen in the classroom. The learning never transfers.
The Applied Educator cohort takes best education practices and combines them with research-backed principles of applied improvisation to give you the tools to empower teachers and students alike.
Learning transfer and application is what we do.
What's Included?
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Four live virtual training sessions — 90 minutes each
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Two live group coaching sessions — midpoint and close
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Asynchronous community for questions, practice, and peer connection between sessions
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Monthly prompts, peer resource sharing, access to Will between sessions
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A complete facilitation guide adapted for educational contexts
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A fall implementation roadmap built during your final coaching session
Cohort Details
6 weeks · June 30 – August 4, 2026
Cohort size: 12 educational leaders maximum
Delivery: Live virtual ·
All sessions recorded for async access
Investment: $1,000*
The 6-week Structure
Week
01
Tue, Jun 30
11:00 AM (EST)
Foundation
The methodology, the principles, and why this works in educational settings. An experiential approach to learning that builds human capabilities
Week
02
Tue, Jul 7
11:00 AM (EST)
Application
Experiencing the framework as a learner and building facilitation confidence
Week
03
Tue, Jul 14
11:00 AM (EST)
Midpoint group coaching
first attempts, early questions, recalibration
Week
04
Tue, Jul 21
11:00 AM (EST)
Implementation Tools
In this session you'll take one core activity and adapt it for your September staff kickoff. This ensures you leave with something you can actually run, not just a concept to figure out later.
Week
05
Tue, Jul 28
11:00 AM (EST)
Facilitation Practice
running activities, debriefing, handling resistance
Week
06
Tue, Aug 4
11:00 AM (EST)
Close and fall planning
final guidance, implementation roadmap, next steps
By the end of the cohort you will...
Walk away having experienced the methodology the way your teachers will: from the inside
Know how to adapt and facilitate applied improvisation activities in your own PD sessions
Have built a workshop of your own that you can utilize on day one of professional development
Have a concrete fall implementation plan tied to your specific school context
Be part of a community of educational leaders using the same framework
Have a facilitation guide and resource library ready to use immediately
This workshop engaged every single teacher and staff member immediately. We were able to step outside of proscribed roles at our institution. This will allow us to see each other differently as we work together to support our students, and our community as a whole. Additionally, this workshop provided specific insights and strategies for engaging all of our students in new ways, so they can move beyond their expectations of themselves and each other. Will also was able to offer suggestions for using these tools in all kinds of classrooms, not just theater or English classes. I am using at least one of his activities on my first day of school this year, and am challenging myself to use others regularly throughout this school year. Highly recommend this program!
- Lisa Amesian, The Baldwin School
About Will Dennis
Will Dennis is the founder of Unscripted Productions and a practitioner of applied improvisation with eight years of facilitation experience across corporate, nonprofit, and educational organizations. He's collaborated with Johnson and Johnson, Vanguard, Princeton University, BNY Mellon, and more to leverage applied improvisation for better communication, collaboration, conflict-resolution, resilience, agility, and creativity. He also teaches at Villa Joseph Marie High School in Holland, PA, which means he brings both practitioner expertise and direct classroom experience to every educational engagement. His work is built on a single belief: behavior doesn’t change through instruction. It changes through practice. The Applied Educator Cohort is the direct application of that belief to professional development for school leaders.
Join the Founding Cohort
The first Applied Educator Cohort runs June 30 – August 4, 2026. Founding cohort members receive a reduced rate, direct input into how the program develops, and priority access to future cohorts and alumni resources. Space is limited to 12 participants by design.
Founding cohort rate: $1,000 · Full rate after founding cohort: $1,200
Not ready to commit yet? Lock in the founding rate
Add your name to the waitlist. As long as you add your name before the founding cohort sells out, you'll lock in the founding cohort pricing for the future session.